Spurned lover gets revenge on fraudster

Spurned Somercotes lover Catherine Blackett has blasted her fraudster ex on social media as a warning to other women.

Catherine, of Sleetwood Lane, posted photographs of former boyfriend Thomas Raven on Facebook after he ran up thousands of pounds of debt on credit and store cards in her name.

Catherine discovered that Raven had fraudulently opened store cards in her name just days after they split, in addition to the debt he racked up on her credit card during the one-year relationship.

Catherine, 22, was furious that he escaped with only a caution from police, so she wanted to take it further.

She said: “I put it on Facebook and was shocked by the response. So many other women got in touch to say he had done it to them and it’s time he was stopped. It was officially a first-time offence, so he got off with a caution. It just makes me so mad that he gets to walk away, probably to find his next victim.

“But I’ve come forward to try and prevent that. I want to make it harder for him to treat other people like this in the future.”

Catherine said 42-year-old Raven had always been controlling but she had been so in love with him she had accepted that’s how he was.

She said: “He encouraged me to get a credit card when we were together. He said it was a good idea to build up credit rating and it made sense, so I did.

“He talked me into putting his name on it for emergencies and unbeknown to me, was using it to buy furniture and presents.

“When I saw the statement I was shocked. He promised he would pay it back and I paid it off under the impression I would be getting it back – but I never did. Eventually I left him, and three days later he opened two new store cards in my name and started spending again. Altogether he’s probably run up more than £4,000 in debt in my name.

“He told me at the start of our relationship ‘Don’t let anyone walk all over you’, and I’m determined not to let him do that anymore.”

Last month Raven received a caution at Ripley police station relating to two cards he opened after the break-up.

A Derbyshire police spokesman said: “We arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of fraud and he was given a caution for the offence.”

Raven insisted: “I am not a bad person. She’s just bitter and it all spiralled out of control.” He declined to comment when challenged about the other women.